SoundStage! Solo | SoundStageSolo.com

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 15 September 2024

Sound: 1/2
Value:
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Change can be a scary thing. The great unknown and unknowable. What you’ve known might not be perfect, but something different could be worse. Then again, it might also be better. Which is a grand and over-the-top way to say that Bowers & Wilkins changed some earphones I liked. The Pi8 earphones ($399, all prices in USD) have replaced last year’s Pi7 S2 earphones. They’re different.

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 01 August 2024

Sound:
Value: 1/2
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I haven’t reviewed many in-ear monitors here at SoundStage! Solo, but that’s a gap I’m aiming to fill with a few upcoming products, starting with the Westone Audio Pro X10 earphones ($199.99, all prices USD). They’re small, and have a single balanced armature inside each earpiece. Westone claims they’re great for on-stage monitoring for vocalists, guitar players, and so on. These days, my live performances are limited to solo in-car baritone belts, so it’s a good thing that Westone also assumes these will be used by fans of bands, not just those in bands.

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 01 June 2024

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These true wireless earphones cost $18.98 (all prices in USD). I bought them on Temu, along with two other pairs, for just over $60. I chose these because of how they look. I mean, obviously! Look at them! They’ve got little bear ears. I didn’t even notice until I received them that the front face rotates 360 degrees, revealing in turn a creepy smile face, an unhappy face, or the Onikuma logo. Rotate slightly more and it reveals the earbuds themselves. I’ve seen worse, and uglier, designs on mainstream products.

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 01 June 2024

Sound: N/A
Value:
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What in your everyday life costs $12? If you’re careful, maybe a meal from McDonald’s? A trip to the grocery store is way more. A movie matinee? Not in my area. Do you have any electronics gear that costs $12? A cable perhaps, or some spare silicone eartips. Certainly not fully functional true wireless earphones, and yet that’s what I found on Temu.

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 01 May 2024

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PSB is one of those companies that doesn’t get the mainstream recognition of the Boses and Sonys of the world, but among audiophiles and enthusiasts, they’re well known and widely respected. Decades of great-sounding and well-made speakers, almost all of which also measure objectively well, have done a lot to endear the company to a wide, if still vaguely niche, audience.

Details: Written by: Geoffrey Morrison; Created: 01 January 2024

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Though better known for its big, planar-magnetic, over-ear headphones, HiFiMan has released a variety of earphones over the years. On the true-wireless front, that list includes the Svanars, descended from a $1999 (all prices USD) wired model. What we have here are a pair of earphones in the middle of the range, the Wireless LE ($299). Other models include the Svanar Jr. ($179), which use a different amp and DAC, and the Svanar Wireless (no LE, $499), which include wireless charging and the LDAC Bluetooth codec.